Tumbler feed for labeling machines



March 2, 1954 s. T. CARTER TUMBLER FEED FOR LABELING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 10, 1950 March 2, 1954 s. T. CARTER TUMBLER FEED FOR LABELING MACHINES s Sheets-Sheeii 2 Filed Aug. 10, 1950 March 2, 1954 s. T. CARTER TUMBLER FEED FOR LABELING MACHINES Filed Aug. 10, i950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 2, 1954 s. T. CARTER TUMBLER FEED FOR LABELING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 10, 1950 a T T T T N T W T T T T T H T .H O 8 7 5 mumofi viii??? 0 I: I

m @TTTT TT N m a duaa 9ssw D F .51; i f"? ob fii j i a 4 mm 222 2222 3335332 Patented Mar. 2, 1954 TUMBLER FEED FOR LABELING MACHINES Sidney T. Carter, Worcester, Mass, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Geo. J. Meyer Manufacturing 00., Cudahy, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application August 10, 1950, Serial No. 178,588 3 Claims. (01. 19s-204) 1 This invention pertains to labeling machines and more especially to improved feed mechanism for delivering articles to label-afiixing apparatus.

In one customary type of labeling machine the articles are advanced toward the label-affixing.

mechanism by an endless, constantly moving conveyor whose linear speed is usually definitely correlated to that of the label-affixing devices. One common form of conveyor comprises an endless chain having a horizontal run upon which the articles rest. If the articles are smaller at the bottom than at the top, for instance like the downwardly tapering tumblers commonly used for jelly, any obstruction to the advance of the articles will first cause successive articles to contact at their tops, but since they are still spaced at their bottoms, the frictional drag of the conveyor will cause them to tip so that their axes are no longer vertical. If, in this tipped condition, they approach the label-affixing mech anism, they may become jammed at the star wheel or other spacing means customarily provided at the entrance to the label-affixing mechanism.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide novel means for feeding such articles as downwardly-tapering tumblers or the like, so as to prevent them from tipping, and to deliver them, with their axes vertical, to the spacing means of the labeling mechanism. A further object is to provide feeding means of the above type which is readily adaptable to the handling of articles of a wide range of taper and top diameter. A. further object is to provide feeding mechanism of simple but reliable character applicable to labeling machines of conventional type, without substantial modification of the latter. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. l is a diagrammatic side elevation, to small scale, of a conventional labeling machine of the type to which the improved feed mechanism of the present invention may be applied;

Fig; 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3- is a diagrammatic side elevation, with parts omitted, to larger scale than Fig. 1, showing details of the improved feed mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view, omitting parts and showing details of the drive mecha- Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 5, certain parts being broken away or omitted;

Fig. '7 is a transverse, vertical section, to larger scale, substantially on the line l'--'! of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic, transverse section similar to Fig. '7, but to smaller scale, showing the guides engaging a tumbler;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8, but showing the parts arranged to guide a tumbler of different shape; and

Fig. 10 is a table showing a range of change gear ratios for use with tumblers of different SIZES.

Referring to the drawings (Figs. 1 and 2) the numeral i designates a labeling machine of the straightaway type and of conventional construction to which the articles to be labeled are delivered by the horizontal upper run of a conveyor C (Figs. 3 and 4) comprising two parallel, .horizontally spaced series of smooth, rigid, horizontal plates 2 and 3 respectively, carried by endless chains l1, these chains being driven by an electric motor 4 (Fig. 1). The articles, after having received the labels, are delivered to a discharge conveyor 5 (Fig. 2) by means of which they are carried to any desired point.

The proper entrance of successive articles to the field of action of the labeling machine I is controlled by a star wheel 6 (Figs. 2 and 4) turning about a vertical axis and which normally rotates in timed relation to the motion of the conveyor which delivers the articles to the labeling machine.

The articles are fed to the conveyor C, comprising the plates 2 and 3, by the horizontal upper run 1 (Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6) of an endless chain &, whose width is such that its delivery portion may extend between the spaced, proximate ends of the plates 2 and 3 of the conveyor C. The upper run l of the endless chain is arranged between horizontal spaced parallel rails 28 and 29 (Figs. 8 and 9) whose upper surfaces are slightly below the upper surface of the chain, for example, to provide a clearance of the order of 0.010" to 0.020" between the rails and the bottoms of the tumblers, the run I of the chain being supported by a bar B vertically adjustable by set screws T This endless chain 8 passes around a sprocket wheel 9 (Fig. 3) carried by a shaft I 0 (Figs; 3 and 6) having bearings at its opposite ends in the machine frame, the chain Balso passing over sprocket wheel H mounted to turn freely on a horizontal shaft l2 whose opposite ends are mounted in the machine. frame. The diameters 3 of the sprockets 9 and H and the locations of their shafts l and i2 are such that the upper run i of the chain 8 is substantially horizontal and in the same plane as the article supporting surface of the conveyor C. The lower runoi the chain 8 passes over a sprocket wheel l3 (Figs. 3 and 6) fixed to a shaft l4 having bearings in the opposite sides of the machine frame. The arrangement of the upper run I of the chain 3 with respect to the upper run of the conveyor C, comprising the plates 2 and 3, is such that at approximately the point it (Fig. 4). articles which are being moved along by the upper .run 7 of the chain 8 are picked up and further advanced by the conveyor C comprising the plates 2 and 3.

The plates 2 and 3 which form the conveyor C for delivering articles into the labeling machine are carried by a pair of endless chains ll (Fig. 3) which pass about sprocket wheels 38 and 19 (Fig. fixed to the shaft ill at opposite sides of the sprocket wheel H and these chains I"! also pass about sprocket wheels iii (Fig. 3) fixed to a shaft 2! which is driven by the electric motor t which actuates the labeling machine.

A gear 22 (Figs. .5 and 6) fixed to the shaft 12 meshes with a gear 23 fixed to the shaft M and thus the shaft I4 is turned in definite ratio to the shaft 12. Thus the several conveyors are driven in accuratelytimed relation to th labeling machine. The gears 22 and 23 are readily removable from their respective shafts so that they may be exchanged for gears of diilerent pitch diameter. .These gears 22 and 23 are preferably housed within a casing 24 having a removable cover 25.

When tapering articles, such as jelly tumblers, are advanced along a conveyor by pressure, one against the other, the result is that the articles will take up some such position as indicated at 26in Fig. 3, the articles tipping so that their axes are no longer vertical. If, when so positioned, they were advanced into the field of action of the star wheel 6 they would 3am. By the present invention this possibility is avoided by driving the conveyor C, comprising the two series of plates 2 and .3 at a speed exceeding the speed of the conveyor chain 8 and so that at the point 16 successive articles are separated. Thus if they have been slightly tippedbeiore reaching this point, they will right themselves and move on toward the star wheel 6 in spaced relation. In Fig. 10 a table of gear ratios .is given such as is desirable in order to insure the above described operation. and to separate the tapering articles so that they will approach the star wheel with their axes vertical and properly spaced. It is desirable to use standard stock gears, that is to say gears which may be purchased on the market, and the table is based upon the following calculation: If the apparatus is. to handle tapering tumblers of a maximum top diameter of 4", the chain 8 should have a feed of at least 8". Assume that the sprocket wheel is is a nine-tooth wheel with a l" pitch and that the sprocket wheelZt is a fourteen-tooth wheel witha 1'. pitch. The spacing of the axes of the shafts l2 and i i equals the sum of halfthe pitch diameters of any pair of gears to be used. In the arrangement illustrated, the sprocket wheels 26 and 19 are in the ratio of 14:21.

The revolutions required of shaft It for a top 4 in diameter would be a. for one revolution of sprocket wheel 20. The stock-gear train from shaft 2| to shaft H to obtain this would be figured thus:

14 101 4 21 75 --0.89 g which is close enough approximation to the calculated value of 0.888.

Thus by consulting the table, proper change gears may be selected for use with tumblers varying in top diameter between the upper and lower limits provided in the table.

In order to confine the tumblers and to keep them properly aligned as they move along the conveyor, suitable guides are provided. As shown in Fig. '7, the opposite horizontal side rails 28 and 29-, of the frame of the apparatus, support brackets 28 and 29 adapted to receive the bases respectively of other bracket members 30 and 3|, whichare adjustably secured to the brackets 28 and 29 by bolts 3% and 3| respectively, which p ss ough slots in the bases of the brackets 39 and 36 andinto threaded holes in brackets 28 and 2%. The brackets 33 and 31 have horizontallyarranged pivots 32 and parallel to the conveyor path, and these pivots support rookers and 35 respectively. These rockers are provided at their lower ends with guide rails 3 and 3?, respectively, designed to contact or substantially contact the lower part of a tumbler at diametrically opposite points. Just above the rails 35 and 3'. the rockers are provided with bolts 38 and 53 respectively, which pass through arcuate slots it and E2 in the bracket members, the bolts 3% and it being operative to hold the rockers in the desired position of angular adjustment. ihe rockers 34 and 35 are reduced in diameter at their upper ends and provided with screw threaded stem portions 43 and M which pass through openings in the horizontal flanges tit and 45 of angle rails having the vertical members ii and all which are designed to engage the upper edge of the tumbler at diametrically opposite points. The horizontal members i5 and 45 are vertically adjustable by means of the thumb nuts t9 and 53, so that the rails "ii and 48 may be adjusted vertically to take care of tumblers or" different heights.

. As shown in Fig. 8 the rockers 34 and $5 are substantially vertical and the upperand lower guide rails are disposedso as to contact or nearly contact the tumbler T at its upper and lower portions In Fig. 9 the rockers are shown as inclined downwardly toward each other so as to position the upper and lower guide rails to confine a tumbler T of much sharper taper than that shown in Fig. 8.

In the operation. of the feed apparatus of the present invention the tumblers are advanced, for example along a stationary supporting plate J5 (Figs. 3. and i) and when they reach the lefthand end or this supporting plate they are picked up by the upper run or" the endles chain 8 and advanced in the direction of the arrow A (Fig. 4) until they reach the point it at. whichtheir bottoms are engaged by the plates 2 and 3 of conveyor C. Since this conveyor C is movin at a greater linear speed than the upper run I of the chain 3 the tumblers are immediately accelerated so that instead of substantially contacting each other, as shown at T and T in Fig. 3, adjacent tumblers are separated as shown, for example, at T T (Fig- 3) and thus they approach the star wheel 6 in spaced relation and with their axes vertical, the arrangement being such that not more than two tumblers can engage the star wheel at one time, as indicated at T and T in Fig. 4.

Thus with this arrangement the tapering articles, if they arrive at the entrance to the conveyor in slightly tipped condition, as shown at 26 in Fig. 3, will be straightened up during their advance and finally completely separated so that there is no danger of crowding as they reach the star wheel.

While one desirable arrangement has herein been illustrated. and described by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of any and all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination in apparatus for conveying downwardly tapering articles, a moving support upon which the articles rest and which moves them along a predetermined path, a pair of steadying rails arranged at each side, respectively, of said path and which are engageable with the sloping sides of the moving articles, a support for each pair of rails mounted to swing about a horizontal axis parallel to said path thereby to adapt the rails for engagement with tumblers of difierent tapers, and means for adjusting one rail of each pair, relatively to the other, thereby to adapt the rails for use with tumblers of different heights.

2. In combination in apparatus for conveying downwardly tapering tumblers, a chain conveyor having a substantially horizontal run constituting a support for the bottoms of the tumblers while advancing them along a predetermined path, a pair of horizontal, vertically spaced steadying rails disposed at each side, respectively, of said path, and supporting means for each pair of rails, said supporting means comprising a vertically elongate rocker pivoted intermediate its upper and lower ends to rock about an axis parallel to said path, one of the rails of each pair being fixed to the lower part of the rocker and the other rail of each pair being mounted on the rocker near the upper end of the latter, means for adjusting the latter rail vertically relative to its rocker, and means for securing the rocker at an angle such that both rails concomitantly engage the tapering side of the tumbler.

3. In combination in apparatus for conveying downwardly tapering tumblers, a chain conveyor having a substantially horizontal run constituting a support for the bottoms of the tumblers While advancing them along a predetermined path, and a pair of horizontal, vertically spaced steadying rails disposed at each side, respectively of said path, and supporting means for each pair of rails, said supporting means comprising a rocker mounted to rock about an axis parallel to said path, and means for holding the rocker in adjusted angular position such that both rails concomitantly touch the tapering side of the tumbler.

SIDNEY T. CARTER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,056,734 Brown Mar. 18, 1913 1,653,495 Cereghino Dec. 20, 1927 1,976,855 McKee Oct. 16, 1934 2,184,905 Brintnall Dec. 26, 1939 2,262,799 Everett Nov. 18, 1941 2,356,434 Russell Aug. 22, 1944 2,467,679 Lyon Apr. 19, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 396,382 Great Britain July 27, 1933 609,844 Great Britain Oct. 7, 1948 965,914 France Feb. 22, 1950 

